The president's 11-day overseas tour, the first since he took office in March, is of great significance to further develop China's friendly relations with his destination countries and mutual understanding and friendship with the peoples, accelerate the construction and development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and promote the establishment of a just and rational new world political and economic order, Li told Chinese reporters covering the trip on the way back to Beijing.

The trip has seen Hu in Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and has taken him to the third summit of the SCO member states held in Moscow, celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the city of St. Petersburg and the informal South-North leaders dialogue meeting in the French city of Evian.

To be specific, Li, who accompanied the president throughout the trip, said the tour is fruitful mainly in the following five aspects.

Firstly, it has promoted China's good-neighborly and friendly cooperation with Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

During the visits to the three countries, Hu held talks with their presidents, prime ministers and parliament leaders and had an in-depth exchange of views with them on bilateral ties and major international and regional issues, and reached wide consensus.

Hu reiterated that China would make efforts to promote relations with the three countries to a good-neighborly friendship for generations.

Hu's words were echoed by the leaders of the three countries, who promised they would, as always, give priority to developing ties with China and actively response to Hu's proposal of bringing Sino-Russian, Sino-Kazakh and Sino-Mongolian relations to a new high.

During Hu's visit, Russia and Kazakhstan pledged to continue to develop the strategic partnership with China, while Mongolia decided to establish the partnership of good-neighborliness and mutual trust with China.

The leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia all agreed that the four countries should learn from each other's strong points and offset one's weakness, conduct extensive and in-depth cooperation, and promote common prosperity.

Secondly, the trip has pushed forward the establishment of the SCO mechanisms and further cemented cooperation in various areas among SCO member states.

This was the first time for President Hu to attend the SCO summit, during which he and his five counterparts reached consensus on the future direction for the development of the SCO and other major international and regional issues.

The SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The leaders signed the Moscow Declaration and approved nine other legal documents regulating the meeting mechanism of the SCO and the operation of its permanent bodies.

They also decided to hold the SCO's second meeting of prime ministers in China in the second half of this year to translate a number of tentative ideas for economic cooperation into concrete actions.

The summit also further coordinated the six countries' positions on major international issues, and made the SCO more influential.

Thirdly, President Hu's visits have deepened China's friendly ties with the developed countries and developing ones as well.

His attendance at the informal South-North leaders dialogue meeting in Evian is a great diplomatic effort by the Chinese leader at a time when the international community is facing new challenges in the multipolarization drive, the world economy remains sluggish, and the gap between the North and the South is widening. China played a constructive role in the meeting.

At the meeting, President Hu elaborated on China's positions on international development and cooperation and the South-North relations. He pointed out that development holds the key to solving all the conflicts and problems the whole world is facing, and only coordinated, balanced and common development can bring about lasting peace and stability.

He stressed the urgency for cooperation between the developed countries and the developing ones, and expressed the hope that all the countries would deepen understanding, trust and cooperation by promoting communications, dialogues and exchanges.

The Chinese president also made a package of proposals for promoting global economic growth, establishing a new international political and economic order and cementing South-North cooperation.

Fourthly, the tour has promoted exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries in international affairs.

During his trip, President Hu had working meetings with leaders from over 10 countries, including Algeria, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, Switzerland and the United States, and held friendly talks with leaders from some 40 countries, expounding on China's views on the current international situation.

Fifthly, it has also showcased the image of China's new leadership.

In his contacts with international figures, Hu reiterated on many occasions China's independent foreign policy of peace and the country's determination and confidence to unswervingly take the socialist road with Chinese characteristics.

On China's fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Hu said that the epidemic had been initially contained in China thanks to the government's decisive measures and progress in prevention and treatment work.

The Chinese people, Hu said, have the determination, confidence and capability to win the combat against SARS and are ready to cooperate extensively with the international community in the fields of public health care and epidemic prevention.

(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2003)